Sands of Time
by Mystical Myst
Summary: What happens when you die? In the case of Hermione, when one life ends another begins. Hermione ia thrown back in time, will she be able to save the lives of the mauraders?
1. Chapter 1

"Hermione! To your left!" Harry called out as the battle waged on, Death Eaters were all around them casting curses at them from left and right. One would think that this would have been the final show down with Voldemort, the day in which the prophecy between Harry and Voldemort would have finally been fulfilled, but this could have been as far away from that day as when the war had begun for the very first time.

The truth was that the Order had been betrayed. It was all repeating itself, yet when it had once been Peter Pettigrew, it was now Ronald Weasley. This meant that although the betrayal was just as painful, as it had been all of those years ago, it was nevertheless an even greater betrayal this time. As it was not just his best friends as it had been with Pettigrew and the Marauders, but also the entire Order.

Dodging the curse that had been thrown in her direction, though it was the next curse that she did not see.

"AVADA KADAVRA!!"

The blow of the curse was so great that it launched her out of the window and into the garden which lay below. In the distance she could hear Harry screaming after her as he realized that now not only had one of his best friends betrayed him, but his other best friend had now joined the countless people who had lost their lives to the tyrant.

-0-

"Hey."

The first thing that Hermione saw as she came to was a beautiful blond girl, who was kneeling beside her. The girl had long hair that cascaded over her shoulders her eyes were a forest green, under all the hair she noticed the Gryffindor robes. Next to this mystery girl was another girl. This one, however, seemed familiar: she had flaming red hair, but it was not until Hermione saw her eyes that she was finally able to place why she found her familiar where she found this other girl to be familiar. The girl had emerald eyes, eyes that she had only seen one other place: in her best friend.

"Are you alright?" the red-head asked.

It did not take long for Hermione to realize that every nerve in her body was on fire, and the only reply that she was able to give was a simple closing of the eyes as she struggled to remain conscious.

"Hey Lily, we should get her to Madam Pomfrey," one of the girls said. The other must have agreed, as the next thing that she heard was "Wingardium leviosa." This was the last thing that Hermione heard before she slipped into unconsciousness.

-0-

"Hermione?" Harry asked as he knelt by his best friend, desperate for her to wake and say something, tell him that she was alright or that it hurt, but nothing came.

The sight that had met the Order as they ran to Hermione's side was one of horror. The girl lay still on the grass as if she was taking a nap, the only things that gave away her true state were the blood that covered her body and the twisted angles that her body had taken from the impact of the fall. "Come on, Hermione! We won, the Death Eaters are gone." By now he was (practically) whispering, but still there was no response.

"HERMIONE!!!!" he tried one more time, throwing caution to the winds as he shook her, desperate for some kind of response, anything that would prove what he already knew to be wrong, before Remus pulled him away from the deathly still body.

"Harry, enough, she's gone," Remus said as he took the sobbing boy into his arms. "She's dead."


	2. Chapter 2

Her body ached all over. Although her eyes were closed, she could tell that it was light. She was sure that when she got catapulted out of the window it had been dark. That was another thing that came to her attention: she distinctly remembered being hit by the killing curse. So how could it be that she was alive, never mind how sore she was?

"Ah, I see that you are awake." That voice... that voice was so warm, comforting and familiar. Slowly and cautiously she opened her eyes, only to have a startled gasp ripped from her throat. Not only was she no longer lying in the back garden of Grimbauld place, but was in what she could only recognize as the medical centre at Hogwarts. The other great surprise was that the voice that she had recognized as being so soothing and comforting was none other than Professor Dumbledore's, who was sitting right in front of her. The same professor who was murdered in her sixth year. None of this was making any sense!

"Oh, sorry, child, I did not mean to startle you," Dumbledore said as he took a small step back, to show that he was sincere.

"You appear to have received quite a bump to the head," he said as he took a look over her. It was a gesture that prompted Hermione to do the same, and immediately finding a large bump forming on the back of her head; convincing herself that she must be dreaming; there was not a scratch on her. It made less than no sense. A fall like that must have left some injuries, yet she had none.

"Now tell me, child, you are wearing Gryffindor robes, and yet I do not recognize you as a student."

"Professor, forgive me, but I do not understand," she said as she attempted to sit up, and with a little help she was able to do so.

"Tell me, child, what do you not understand?" he tried soothingly, but the truth was that it caused an even greater frustration to build in Hermione.

"This! All of this! You're dead, I should be dead, this..." and that was when it began to dawn on Hermione. "Wait... this is heaven, isn't it?" The expression on Dumbledore's face was one of shock, but it was soon replaced by a warm smile that was full of mirth.

"Oh, my dear, I assure you, while some of the students as well as professors consider this to be heaven, you are most definitely not dead," he said in his reassuring tone.

"But then... Wait, what date is it?" she said as she began to place pieces together in the only possible fashion that could what was happening to her.

"It's the 20th of September, 1977," he said as if it was the most common thing in the whole world.

The words led to her breakdown. The knowledge that she was in the wrong time was all too much for her. "But...but..." She could not even finish the sentence as tears came to her eyes.

"Tell me, child, what is the matter?" It was a safe bet that Dumbledore himself would have known what was wrong, but being Dumbledore, ho would of course have wanted Hermione to tell him herself, and she did.

"I am not from this time..." she said as she fought with the hiccups. "I am from the future." The response that she received, however, was something that would have shocked anyone: Dumbledore's expression chanced in the blink of an eye to one of concern, as he leaned forward and demanded Hermione tell him everything, so she did, all the way from the betrayal of her best friend to her being hit by the killing curse.

After hearing everything, Dumbledore fell back into his seat with mixed emotions. On one hand he was fascinated by her story, but he also knew that when time travel happened through death there was no way in which to reverse it, as she would no longer exist. Hermione, on the other hand, did not know this, and immediately asked for a solution once she had regained her thoughts.

"I am sorry, child, but it is not possible to send you back. I am afraid that your life is here now. The year has just begun so you will be able to finish your studies here. Also, may I suggest that you make friends with Miss Evans and Miss Malfoy, as they will be able to help you. They are also two very reliable young women."

Slowly, as Hermione came to grips with reality, she was able to calm down enough to regain her composure.

"Now, I must ask for your name, dear?"

"Hermione Granger."

"Excellent!" He said as he stood up, "And while you are here, please do not hesitate to come to my office, the door is always open. Also I would suggest that you get back to the Gryffindor Common Room as dinner will be soon." One thing that Hermione immediately realized was that his famous twinkle was back in his eyes, but before she was able to contemplate further on the infamous glint of the Professor she was interrupted by a flash of blonde hair that passed by the enter, Dumbledore noticed it as well. "Miss Malfoy!" the blonde girl that Hermione recognized from earlier was once again at the door. Though the name was something that Hermione was stumped by, not only because clearly Lily Potter was friends with a Malfoy and vice versa, but also that this girl was wearing Gryffindor robes.

"Could you come in for a moment please?" Dumbledore asked as he stepped to the side so she could once again see Hermione.

"Of course Professor," the girl said as she came into the room, when she got close enough to Hermione she stopped and said hi. The girl's eyes shown with such kindness that Hermione was rendered speechless, and could only nod in reply.

"Miss Granger, this is Solarius Malfoy, Miss Malfoy this is Hermione Granger," Dumbledore said as he introduced the two girls. "Miss Malfoy could you take Miss Granger to the Gryffindor Common Room, she will be roommates with you and Miss Evans." Dumbledore informed.

"Of course Professor" Solarius replies as Dumbledore left with one last smile in Hermione's direction.


	3. Chapter 3

The two girls walked together in silence back to the Gryffindor common room. Every now and then Solarius would try to make conversation, asking Hermione if she was feeling any better, she also tried asking her how she had ended up out on the grounds unconscious, she even went on to the topic of the weather. Yet Hermione remained silent, the recent events leaving her too shaken up to talk, and after a while Solarius also gave up trying to make conversation and was content to walk in silence next to the frightened girl.

It was not long before they were facing the portrait of the Fat Lady. Solarius cast a smile towards Hermione and said: "Hippogriff's flight," and with that the Fat Lady gave a gentle smile and opened up for the two girls, yet the peace and prosperity were not to last. As soon as the two girls walked through the threshold a waterfall of ice cold water was dropped on the tem.

Solarius barely flinched at the cold water, Hermione however was not so lucky: as she was still in a daze the feel of the temperature drop and the electrical shock that was sent straight to her nerves ripped a scream from her throat, the cold feeling brought her crashing back down to earth where she was brutally reminded of what had happened, and where she was.

When the shock subsided, they could hear the snickering that came from further within the common room. Solarius was not impressed in the least and straightening her back she marched into the room.

"Well done, mate!" Sirius said as he patted his friend on the back, while Remus merely grinned but also congratulating his friend on his achievement, while Peter sat in the corner giggling.

"JAMES!!!" Solarius yelled as she quickly approached the boy with a look that could kill. Immediately the cheering and congratulating stopped as James realized just who he had gotten with the water, and the look that crossed his face was one that Hermione never thought that would cross the face of her best friend's father; and that was when it hit her, this was Harry's father, James Potter.

"Oops," James muttered under his breath, and then quickly went to cover up his mistake. "Hi Sol," he said in a sheepish and innocent voice.

"Oh, don't give me that, James Potter! I know very well that it was you who put that waterfall there," she said as she looked at him in an attempt to intimidate him, but they all knew that she did not truly mean it as she still had a twinkle of humour and mischief in her blue eyes.

"But we would never try and prank you Sol, you are one of us!" – giving her a puppy dog look, hoping that it would be enough to make her forgive them. Solarius however was not going to let him off the hook that easily, and grabbed a nearby pillow, effectively smacking him over the head with it. At this the boys could not take it anymore and burst out laughing. Solarius tried to hide her amusement and turned around, smacking Remus over the head for good measure.

"You! You should be standing up for me, not just laughing at me," she said as she poked him lightly on the shoulder.

Remus took it in his stride as he pulled Solarius down to sit on his lap dripping wet. "Aw love, don't be like that," he murmured as he kissed her softly and slowly.

It was a gesture that completely and totally threw Hermione. Remus seemed to be completely in love with this girl, and yet he had never mentioned her. Furthermore, she had never even heard of Lucius having a sister. It was the first time that she was sorry that she was not in the present, because it meant that she could not go to the library and look up this Solarius Malfoy. Hermione could not help but wonder why she had not heard of this girl in turn this quickly made her to jump to the conclusion that maybe Solarius were to become one of Voldemort's victims just like Lily and James.

"What's going on?" Hermione turned in the direction of the new voice, only to come across a beautiful red head... Lily, Hermione realized. Stories had been told about Lily Potter but none if it did her any justice, she was truly stunning.

"Hey Lily," Solarius said as she broke away from Remus' kiss, who in the meantime pulled out his wand and with a quick flick dried both himself and his girlfriend. "Thanks love," she said as she dipped down for another kiss.

"You're very welcome," he replied as he brought her down to snuggle against him.

"Hey, are you feeling any better?" Lily asked Hermione, and it was the trigger that Sol needed to be reminded of the girl standing in their common room.

"Oops! Guys, this is Hermione Granger, she is an exchange student from America, and will be finishing her studies here."

Hermione looked up at Solarius in question, as she had never told that story to her, only to realize that it was a story that she had come up with for her, so with a gentle smile of thanks she turned back to Lily and the boys.

"Hi," she said, although it was the most pathetic greeting, it was the only one that she could think of, having all these people in front of her who, apart from Remus, were dead in her time and here they were alive in front of her.

As she looked forward again she was greeted by a warm embrace from Lily.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Hermione," she said giving her a warm smile and stepped aside to allow the others to greet her as well.

James gave her a boyish smile and with a flick of his wand she was once again dry.

"Thank you," she said, smiling at him.

"No problem, sorry for getting you wet. Any friend of Solarius is a friend of ours," he replied.

Remus gave a warm and knowledgeable smile but said nothing. The gesture reminded her so much of the Remus from her time.

Peter smiled and waved, but at his greeting Hermione had to use all of her strength not to show her disgust. It was his fault that they were all dead, but she knew that she could not let them know the future, at least not yet.

Sirius however was a totally different case. He merely smiled at her, but the look in his eyes was intense, his piercing blue eyes burrowing deep within her soul, and it was then that Hermione knew that she had to be careful that she did not fall in love with this man.


	4. Chapter 4

That night Hermione's dreams allowed her to forget. Forget all that had happened, Ron's betrayal, the killing curse, the time loop, and most of all forget that this moment in time and space was now her home, a time when the Marauders existed, a time that, in her time, had faded to nothing more than legend.

"Hermione!" a gentle voice called to her through her sleep. It was a voice that she did not at first recognise, and while she tried to ignore the voice and return to her friends, it proved to be impossible.

"Hermione!" the voice called, this time louder than before. Having no choice, Hermione slowly opened her eyes to come face to face with an overly chipper red-head.

"Ginny, go away." It was completely the wrong thing to say, but at the time it was the only thing that came to her head.

However, it was not till Lily spoke that Hermione realized just what a mistake she was inches from making.

Who's Ginny?"

It was a simple question that made Hermione wake up and look at the girl before her, only then realizing that it was indeed Lily Evans that was in front of her. Quickly remembering the confusion that she had created regarding Ginny Weasley, Hermione racked her brain for an answer that would not jeopardize the future which lay ahead.

"A friend from back home," she said and then, just for good measure, she continued, "You look just like her." She continued with a smile that would have been seen as a sad smile but after using all of her mental force was able to turn it into a happy grin. It was lucky too, as Lily bought the story without hesitation.

"Well come on, get dressed, you don't want to miss breakfast," Lily said as she got off the bed and left the room in order to allow Hermione to get dressed in peace and quiet. It did not take long before Hermione was indeed dressed and found her way once again to the common room where Lily was patiently waiting for her. From here the two girls headed to the Great Hall, where Lily had informed Hermione that they would meet up with the boys as well as Sol.

It was a pleasant surprise for Hermione to see that over the past twenty years the Great Hall had not changed. The ceiling were still filled with the floating candles candles that it would have in the future, and the feeling that you got when you walked through the large archway was one of safety and serenity, as though nothing could possibly touch you in this place.

"Ah, my dear lily flower, how about we go to Hogsmade this weekend together?"

Without realizing it she had quietly allowed herself to be drawn to where the Marauders were sitting enjoying their breakfast.

"Not in this lifetime, Potter," was the only reply that Lily gave the poor boy, and despite everything that had happened to Hermione in less than twenty-four hours, she had to struggle not to giggle at the comment Lily gave.

"And so the princess awakes."

Hermione looked around her to see where the comment had come from, knowing full well that it had been directed at her. She was shocked to see that it had been Sirius who had spoken. It was not that she was shocked that he had spoken to her, rather it was the fact that he had said the words with such indifference and coldness that it stung.

"Good morning," she replied to him, in an attempt to sound as polite as possible while not showing that the comment had actually hurt her.

"Please, do join us," Remus said sweetly, and pointed at the seats that had been made available for them, and, with a nod from both girls, they did. The group sat there eating their breakfast while they enjoyed talking to each other, or rather it mainly involved asking Hermione questions, which she answered as best as she could without giving away what really happened.

"So, tell me, Hermione, how can it be that you are from America, and yet you speak with an English accent?" James asked her, and it was evident that he was genuinely interested in knowing her story, but before she had a chance to answer the Great Hall was filled with cat calls and some rather nasty cries from the Slitheryn table. Hermione turned her head to see Solarius Malfoy walking into the hall and ignoring every one of the comments that were thrown at her as she casually made her way to the boys.

"Good morning everyone," she said as she reached them, and bent down, giving Remus a warm morning kiss before she took her seat next to him.

"Hey Sol, what took you so long?" Lily asked her friend as she watched her fill her plate.

"Sorry love, I just got a letter from home that I had to read," she explained with an expression that was a mixture of pain and anger.

"Are you alright?" Remus asked as he gently placed an arm around her and rubbed soothing circles on her back. Sol, immediately feeling the welcomed contact from her boyfriend, leant into him and briefly placed her forehead on his shoulder, where he took the opportunity to place a brief kiss on the top of her head.

Nodding, she lifted her head and gave him a grateful smile. "Just the same as always."

This was all that it took for Remus to understand what had been in the letter, and without a second thought he brought her into his arms where he held her in a tight embrace as the others gave them sympathising looks.

It was clear that she could feel their looks, because it only took a moment for her to pick her head up. "Please don't," she said as she regarded all of them. "I have you and that is all that I need." At their nods she quickly composed herself and returned to her food, all of the time in Remus' arms.

"You know Hermione, you never answered my question," James said, in an attempt to draw the attention away from Sol and bring it to Hermione instead.

"Oh, sorry," she said as she looked back to the others. It would have been a lie if she did not admit that she was still trying to understand this very complicated and interesting girl that was sitting in the arms of her young professor-to-be.

"My parents are English, and I was born here, but they moved to America when I was little. But you see the schooling system is so different there that I could not help feeling like there was something missing, so they sent me to live with my godmother, Professor McGonagal, so I would be able to attend Hogwarts for my final year." It was not a lie, she had indeed received a letter, that morning while she had been getting dressed, informing her that Minerva had offered to be her guardian from now on. It was an offer that Hermione was more than willing to accept, as she had nowhere else to go. It was, however, a claim that left the whole group – including Sirius – speechless as they realized what she had said.

"Wait," James said as he processed her words. "are you telling us that you are McGonagall's goddaughter?" It was a question that had been on everyone's mind.

"Yes, I am. Now we should go if we do not want to be late for class," she remarked as she got up and picked her empty bag from the floor, and after taking a few steps away from the table, she turned around to see if the others were coming, and she was not disappointed, as she saw them all scurrying to pick up their books and join her. Together they made their way out of the Great Hall and to first period: Charms class.


	5. Chapter 5

Later that night, Remus and Sol lay curled up together in front of the fireplace, both of them basking in the comfort and serenity given by the other.

Sol?" Remus broke the silence, his voice slurred with laziness.

"Hmm?" was her only reply, but it was enough to prompt Remus to continue.

"I do not want to push you," he said gently, rubbing her arms, "but what had you so upset this morning?"

Sol let out a sigh before she answered him, "My parents sent me an owl this morning." As soon as she uttered those words, Remus knew where it was going.

The Malfoys were one of the most respected families in the wizarding world and had not supported the idea of their only daughter being in Gryffindor, when her rightful place was in Slytherin. However, unlike Sirius' parents who had disowned him when he had not only got into Gryffindor, but began to defend muggleborns, or Mudbloods, as they preferred to call them, the Malfoy's had maintained contact with their daughter, hoping that she would see reason and join in their cause.

"What did they say?" It was not a lie, Remus detested Sol's family, but she was his girlfriend and the love of this life, and he knew that he would give up his life for her if it came to it, and if what she needed at the moment was support, then that is what he would give her.

"They want me to see the error of my ways," she said, and by the sound of her voice Remus knew that she was silently crying, yet at the same time trying desperately to conceal it.

He quietly sighed and wrapped her tighter in his arms. "Oh, love," he said gently, soothing her. Sol however turned around in his arms to face him.

"No Remus, you don't understand," she said as she took hold of his shirt, "they want me to become a spy for _him._" By now the tears were falling freely, "They want me to betray you, and our friends..." Her words died away as she held on tightly to Remus and buried her face in his chest, where she cried, and he let her.

It was only after a few minutes that she looked up into his eyes. "I can't, Remus! I can't, not you, not the others... I love you, Remus."

Remus did the only thing that he could do, taking her into his arms and holding her as tightly as he could, without hurting her as he rocked her. "Shh, love, it's alright. Don't listen to them, we are here for you. I am here for you."

Remus was constantly amazed at the witch in his arms, she was always so strong, but every now and again she faltered, and the true insecurities that lay deeply embedded emerged. It was a trait that only he had ever had the privilege of knowing, as she always felt that showing her insecurities would be regarded by a weakness by everyone else. He knew that this was not true, but he also knew that he would not betray her secret to anyone, and so he would continue to be her pillar of safety.

"How can I ignore them, Remus? I do not want to listen to them, but I do not possess the same strength as Sirius! They are my parents, and they always will be."

"I know love, I know," Remus said, pulling her away from him only a fraction in order to look into her eyes, and gently placing a warm hand on her cheek. "We will figure it out together."

With a soft smile, Sol nodded and returned to Remus' embrace. They stayed there for the rest of the night, in each other's arms.


	6. Chapter 6

It was only next morning that the Marauders along with Lily and Hermione once they saw the couple curled up on the couch and wasted no time in moving over to the groggy pair and one by one they took the available seats around them.

The atmosphere was tense: no one tried to make any kind of jokes, James did not try to woo Lily, Sirius did not throw any remarks to Hermione, Peter even stayed very quiet, although probably not for the same reason as others (did). Hermione was suspicious that the others may have known what was going on with Sol, and while she herself did not know, it was not difficult to guess, Sol being a Malfoy. There was also the factor of that Remus never talked about Sol in Hermione's own time, which told her that whatever was going on was enough for her to remain quiet about it.

At seeing all of her friends sitting around her Sol gave a grateful smile, as she carefully sat up on the couch, Remus following her lead, until they were both sitting across from their friends.

"Are you alright, Sol?" James asked with a kind inquisition.

Sol gathered her Gryffindor courage, and with a slight smile answered him, "I'll be alright, as long as I have you guys."

Lily was the first one to react as she got off of the couch, that she had been sitting on with Hermione, and went over to Sol. "Oh, love, come here," she said as she took the poor girl into her arms, taking the spot between Sol and the arm and of the couch, so that she was on one side of Sol and Remus was on the other. "You know that you will always have us."

These comforting words were all that it took for the dam to break, and the tears that Sol had been trying to hide from her friends broke. "They want me to join their cause; they want me to spy for them." She whispered the words so quietly that only Lily and Remus could hear her.

"Shh, it's alright. We are here for you," Lily replied. It was a vague reply, but she knew that when Sol was ready she would tell the others. They all knew who her parents were, and that they did not approve of her choices, but at the moment it was only Lily and Remus who knew the extent of the situation.

"Of course we are." This time it was James who replied and, like Lily, he got up and gave the crying girl a hug. "Now show me that you really are a Gryffindor and wipe your eyes," he said as he held her at arm's length and looked her in the eyes, "and give me a smile."

Sol did not know how he was able to do it, but immediately she let out a genuine chuckle, and James was all too pleased with himself, and immediately returned his attention to the woman who he claimed was the love of his life. "Besides, what would I do if my dear Lily here did not have her best friend as her bridesmaid?" he said with a cheeky grin.

"Why would I need a maid of honour?" Lily had some idea where this was going, but for the sake of taunting James further she let him go on before she shot him down.

"Well, for your wedding of course." James's grin was growing bigger and bigger all of the time. By now Lily had her confirmation.

"And pray tell who would I be marrying?" she asked, already giving him a suspicious look.

"Me, of course," he said, making wild motions with his arms and hands in aid to refer to himself.

In response Lily grabbed the pillow that Sol was no longer using, as she was once again wrapped in Remus' arms, and smacked James over the head with it "In your dreams, Potter!" At this the room burst out laughing, momentarily forgetting the drama that had taken place only minutes ago until...

"Why would you care what they say?" It was a question that dug deep within Sol's heart and echoed what she had said to Remus last night.

"Padfoot, don't," Remus warned his friend.

"No, I am serious. The Malfoys are a family of Death Eaters, why give them any regard at all?" Sirius said, and he was right, his family was no better, and he knew it, and so did Sol, but she just couldn't stop caring, about the fact that these were the people who brought her into this world. Or that they were the ones that raised her, or even the fact that for better or worse they were the ones who taught her about life. She just was not as strong as Sirius was.

"Because they are my parents, Sirius!" Sol shouted as she got up from couch in a rage and, after giving Sirius a death glare, ran up the stairs to find solitude in her room.

"Well done, Sirius," Lily said before running after her. Remus sighed and put his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Moony," Sirius apologized, but deep down everyone knew that he was steadfast and was not really sorry.

"Just leave it, Padfoot." His voice was muffled by his hands, but it was enough to make Sirius leave the room, closely followed by James, leaving Remus and Hermione sitting in the common room.

Realizing that he was alone with her, Remus picked his head up and addressed her for the first time since they had all entered the room.

"We certainly have made an excellent impression on you, haven't we?" Remus said with a smile, but it was clear to Hermione that it was not reaching his eyes, and she could only wonder at what really happened in this time. She wondered at what stories from her time were true? And what had been left out?


	7. Chapter 7

After the fateful night things gradually calmed down in the group; James still pined after Lily, and while Lily was beginning to ever so slightly warm up to James, she still loved to taunt him, and though Sirius still did not understand Sol's attachment to her parents, he still never the less remained loyal to his friends.

As for Hermione, it did not take long before she began to fall more and more into place, feeling comfortable around Remus and James. Lily and Sol quickly became her best friend, and although Sirius remained indifferent to her, she could not be happier.

However, Hogwarts was not all sunshine and roses. Somewhere deep in the dungeons a boy with greasy hair sat on the floor reading a letter, a letter that held the seal of two serpents intertwined in a deadly dance.

_Severus,_

_Your talents are truly wasted on this school, and our lord wishes to give you the chance to prove your worth. You will find enclosed the potion that you will need to break the pathetic group that call themselves__,__ The Marauders. _

_Slip it into Lupin's pumpkin juice on the day of the full moon, and when the sun sets he will fall under our control. His friends will never know what went wrong. _

_Severus, I cannot stress enough how vitally important it is for Potter, Black and Lupin to be eliminated. They are the biggest threat that our master faces_

_Lucius Malfoy_

Severus tipped the contents of the envelope into his hands to find a phial containing a thick liquid of a metallic blue colour. The substance was one that he would later get to know as a mixture of quicksilver and Veritaserum. A dangerous mix that for an ordinary person it would only result in them falling under the truth serum. However when given to a werewolf it would mean that the effects of the truth serum would be held off until the rise of the moon, and even then it would not cause it to tell the truth. Rather it would only put it under the spell of the person that said the corresponding spell. For Severus this would be the ultimate act, an act that would bring him closer to Voldemort and his followers than he had ever been. 


	8. Chapter 8

James and Sirius were up in the Owlery, sending a letter to the Potters concerning their arrival next month for Christmas, when a black owl swooped down through the window. Sirius needed only a split second to recognize the owl that had so many times flown through his dreaded child's home, as being the Malfoy's. Realizing this, he reached up with the reflexes of a cat and caught the poor creature around the wings, effectively preventing it from flying, and with a hoot of protest the owl and Sirius came tumbling to the ground.

James, the poor boy, was unprepared for the sudden scheme of his friend, and received a terrible fright from all the commotion. Not realizing what was going on, he immediately raced to his friend's aid, only to find the animaigus grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What the blaze! Sirius, are you trying to kill me?" he gasped as he reached down to give Sirius a hand in getting up. Sirius, however, had other plans. Rather than accept the hand that had been extended to him in a kind and warm gesture, he thrust the creature into James' hand.

"I got him!" he cried triumphantly.

"Whose owl is this?" James asked as he began to examine the bird for any signs of identity, but the only thing that he found was a letter tied to one of his claws that read: _Severus Snape_. This immediately got his attention and he quickly untied the letter from the owl.

"That owl," Sirius spoke up as he got up from the ground where he had been lying so comfortably, "is the Malfoy's owl." Now James truly was curious and wasted no time in ripping the letter open. What they found was something that they had all suspected but no one dared believe true.

_Severus_

_I trust that everything is in place. Remember you have one chance and one chance only. Should you fail the consequences would be disastrous. The Dark Lord does not give second chances._

_Lucius Malfoy _

"Bloody Hell!" James said as he looked to Sirius. Both boys had an equal look of shock and horror. Granted, they had bullied and teased Snape enough that anyone knew that they were the furthest thing from friends, but to discover that he was working for the darkest wizard that had ever existed was something that neither one of them had imagined.

By the time that Sirius was even able to come up with a remark in response, James was already out of the Owlery, and making his way down the stairs.

"James!" Sirius called as he ran after him. "Where are you going?"

"I am going to show that stupid girl why you should not trust a greasy-haired git."

With the speed and the rage that James was feeling, it took them no time to reach the Gryffindor Common Room where they found Lily and Sol sitting in front of the fireplace.

At the sound of the door banging open the girls jumped in fright. At seeing who it was they calmed, but the look in James' eyes only served to propel Lily into confusion as to what had angered him.

"Here!" James yelled as he thrust the letter into Lily's hands. "Read it!"

"James..." she began, but was cut off by him again.

"JUST READ IT!!"

Terrified of his tone, she did exactly that, she read the letter.

"I don't understand?" she said, failing to make the connection that both Sirius and James had.

"You don't understand? YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND??" he shouted, two times for good measure. "He is a bloody Death Eater! And you have been protecting him!"

It was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Lily, who could not stomach hearing about anyone being mean to another person, could not just sit by and let James be so harsh to a man that she was sure was innocent, no matter what the evidence suggested.

"James, he is not a Death Eater! For all you know someone could be setting him up!" She then looked over to Sol for the moral support that she hopped to find in her friend, but the reply that she got was not what she had expected.

Rather than her long-time friend standing up for her, Sol merely looked at Lily apologetically and said, "I am sorry, love, but that letter speaks volumes. I am afraid that I have to agree with James on this one." Lily could not believe her ears. Standing up she threw the letter back at James.

"All of you are so willing to condemn an innocent man? Fine then! But you will not do it with me at your side." With that she marched up the stairs, leaving three very confused friends behind.


	9. Chapter 9

A week had passed since Sirius and James had intercepted the letter from Lucius to Severus, and it was not long before it was the first full moon that Hermione would experience with the Marauders. The only difference was that while she knew what Remus would transform into, she was unable to tell anyone that she did know, having to wait for the day that Remus came to her, if he ever did.

"Where is Remus?" It was Lily that brought Hermione out of her thoughts.

"He went home; apparently his grandmother, who has been in and out of St. Mungo's, is poorly again," Sol said as she picked at her food. It was a cover story; Hermione knew that in reality he would be making his way down to the Shrieking Shack, but she could not say, and instead opted for just showing concern for her friend.

"Oh?" she began. "I hope she feels better soon."

Sol nodded in appreciation. "Yes, so do I! He has been so worn down about it all. I really do hope he feels better."

Hermione was curious as to what the reaction of the others would be, and so she pitched them a question: "So what are you lot up to tonight?" she asked the remaining Marauders.

"Early night, lots to do tomorrow!" they said in unison, Peter being the only one that lagged behind and weakly agreed with the others. The response which they gave was one that was so rehearsed that it shocked her. Before her were some of the smartest men that she would ever meet, and yet they were not smart enough to make their answer more believable.

As she looked around to both Lily and Sol she could tell that they too were having trouble believing their little rehearsed lie, but never let it be known to the boys and merely led them to believe that _they_ believed their lie.

It was not until later that night that their true intention was made known to Hermione.

"I think the boys are hiding something," Sol said as she joined Lily and Hermione by the fire.

"I completely agree." Lily said.

Hermione had an idea to what the two girls were talking about, but chose not to voice her suspicions directly.

"What are you talking about?" she coaxed.

"The accounts the boys gave of their plans for this evening." It was Lily who answered her. "I do not believe that they are doing work, I think that they are up to something else." The grin that she wore while saying this was one that would more likely belong to a Marauder than to Lily Evans. There was no other word that could describe what Hermione was feeling than shock. Not at what the girls were talking about, but rather what Lily's eyes suggested. She wanted to go and find the boys, the boys that were out in the Forbidden Forest, in the Forbidden Forest under a full moon. It was the last thing that she wanted to do: she knew full well that the wolfbane potion had not been invented yet, and there was only so much a stag and a dog could do to keep a werewolf in check. However, she also knew that she could not disagree with the girls for fear of fuelling their suspicions and possibly compromising Remus' secret.

"What are you thinking, Lily?" It was Sol who asked, and as a reply Lily merely grinned and replied:

"Follow them. I saw them leave the castle and head for the Forbidden Forest." There it was: the confirmation of Hermione's fears.

"I don't think that is a good idea..."

"Oh, come on, Hermione! Where is your Gryffindor courage?" Sol interrupted Hermione before she could even voice her fears. "Now come on, or we will lose them."

As they crept further and further into the Forbidden Forest, it was not long before Hermione's fears were realized as they heard the agonizing howls of a wolf. "Girls, we really should go back." Hermione continued to plead with the two girls to leave, but she knew that it would be futile: while she knew that they were following a werewolf and three animagi, Lily and Sol believed that they were only following their four friends.

"Don't worry; it was just a dog in the distance, nowhere near us," Lily said as they ventured further. Yet soon after, the girls heard the distinct sound of a dog barking, a dog that Hermione knew was Sirius. It was a knowledge that she wished with all of her heart that she could have erased, that it was not the Marauders and that there was no dog, as the next thing that happened was something that would change their relationships forever.

The fear that Sol felt was nothing compared to the pain that she was in as she lay beneath a towering wolf with its fangs bared. In the distance she could hear Hermione and Lily screaming in terror for their friend as they tried to get to her, but it was useless, as they knew that if they tried anything they too would be in danger of getting hurt.

For Sol it was like her own personal bad dream, with no possible way out, and so she squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the wolf to deliver its final blow, and she was not disappointed.

Hermione and Lily watched frozen as the wolf moved in to take a chunk out of their friend.

Sirius raced looking for Remus. He could not understand that how this could have happened. They had done this countless times, but this time Remus seemed far more out of control than normally, to the point where he was hardly Remus anymore. As he rounded the last tree he came face to face with what they had all feared most would happen. There, towering over Sol, was Remus. It was the worst possible scenario. If Remus woke to find that he had hurt the person he loved most, he would never recover. When he saw Remus prepared to bite the girl, he knew that time had run out, and with one final deep breath he lunged himself at the wolf.

He knew that he had pushed Remus away in time, having heard himself how his teeth snapped at air, but what he could not understand was the agonized scream that came from the girl.

Hermione and Lily were both left rooted to their spot – so much so, that they did not immediately question the appearance of James and Peter as they raced by them.

"Peter, get Sol!"James shouted as he grabbed the two girls roughly by the arms, pushing them towards the clearing where they would be able to get to the castle without any danger.

"James, what are you doing? Let go!" Lily cried as she tried to understand not only how he had gotten to them so fast, but also to understand why he was acting so out of his mind.

"Let go? LET GO? How about you first tell me what you were thinking!" James demanded as he released Hermione and turned fully towards Lily.

"What do you mean, what we were thinking? What about you? What are you doing out after hours – in the Forbidden Forest no less?" she demanded.

By now Hermione decided to back away, not wanting to get in the way.

"It does not matter what we were doing! It is a full moon Evans, use your head! You could have been killed!" he shouted.

"And why would you care?" Her voice raised to rival his.

"I care – I care because I love you!"

"James!" Peter squeaked, as he struggled to carry a half-conscious Sol, effectively interrupting the couple and giving Lily no time to react to James outburst.

"Jesus! Solarius!" James breathed as he rushed to help his friend, but when he wrapped his arm around Sol to take her weight he was startled to hear her scream in pain. "Sol, what's wrong?"

"My back!" she all but sobbed in return, but when James looked down, it was he who wanted to sob: there covering the girl's torso and dripping onto his arm was blood!


	10. Chapter 10

It was only the next evening that Sol began to awaken from her slumber. As she lay on her front, she could not help but wonder if the events that had transpired the night before had all been a nightmare. The pain that she felt on her back was proof enough that it was not. The hand which clasped her told something entirely different.

Looking down she noticed the messy mop of hair which belonged to Remus. Slowly and carefully as to not move the muscles in her back she pulled her hand from his and softly caressed his tear-stained cheek.

Remus' eyes fluttered as he gradually looked up, only to realize that the girl whose life he had ruined, and who would never again be able to look at him, was awake.

"Sol!" It was quiet but urgent, as he sat up to run his own hand down her cheek.

"Remus," she replied. Her expression showed that she wanted to say something more, but he could not let her for fear that he would lose his courage and run away, only to never see her again.

"Sol I am so sorry—" It was the beginning of a sentence that she did not understand, and made it known by gently placing her fingers over his lips in a gesture to silence him.

"What do you mean?" The response she got was even more disturbing.

Remus gave a strange gurgle, as if chocking on saliva, before he broke down, sobbing long and hard.

"Remus, what is wrong?" she asked again, this time pressing harder for an answer.

Remus gently and carefully ran a hand over her back where the claw marks resided. That was when she remembered the night before and the wolf that tore at her back.

"The wolf!" It was a statement that seemed to only make matters worse, as Remus began to sob harder.

Meanwhile James, Sirius and Peter where sitting in the Common Room with the girls. They had chosen to give space to Remus as they knew that it would be tough enough to face Sol without them adding to the pressure.

They had known before today that Remus wanted to tell Sol of his curse, but that he wanted to do it when the time was right. Now he was be forced to tell her, a task that they knew was going to be taxing on him.

As for their own relationships, that of James and Lily had blossomed tremendously. After Lily had discovered that James loved her, she soon realized that the dislike she thought she had for James was really a disguise for her true emotions.

The relationship of Hermione and Sirius had also changed. Sirius was no longer ignoring her, but he was now teasing her without mercy.

"How is Sol?" James asked. The question was directed at Lily, as Hermione seemed to be lost in a world of despair.

"She was still asleep when I checked on her." Lily took a pause before she gasped and continued. "Oh, James, how could this happen to Remus? He is so worried about her, and Sol, oh god, Sol! She must be in so much pain, after that wolf..."

She did not finish the sentence, triggering Hermione to come out of the haze.

"Yeah, the wolf." She spoke just above a whisper but it was loud enough for Sirius to hear, and he was sure not to miss an opportunity.

"What was that, bookworm? I am sorry, all of that hair around your face made it difficult to hear. Do you have a problem with wolves?" he snapped. If circumstances had been different Hermione would have sent a remark back and stormed out of the Common Room, but as it was she merely remained silent and returned to her troubled world.

"Sirius!" It was a vague attempt from Lily to scold Sirius, but neither Sirius nor Hermione reacted as they were all far too worried about Sol and the reaction that she would have when she discovered of Remus' dark secret.

"Remus, what is wrong?" Sol asked as she stroked his hair as best she could from the position that she was in.

She heard a muffled reply, but it was too soft and too muddled for her to be able to catch it. It was only after asking him to repeat what he had said that she knew.

"I can't lose you."

"Why would you lose me?" If he was trying to confuse her he was doing an excellent job.

"Because you will hate me for the rest of your life," he cried, finally looking up to meet her eyes.

"Remus, please tell me what is going on!"

Remus gave another sob before he told her: "Because I am the werewolf that attacked you."


	11. Chapter 11

Remus could not look Sol in the eyes. He truly believed that she would no longer be able to bear the sight of him, let alone love him. She would finally see him for the monster that most did.

The reaction that he got was the last thing that he had expected.

Sol ran her hand gently and lovingly through his hair as best she could. It was a small but meaningful gesture that was enough for Remus to let down his strongest defences, and break down there on the bed where he just let himself sob.

Taking hold of his upper arm she tried to pull him onto the bed with her. It was a clumsy attempt, but it was enough to give him the hint, and gathering himself up he climbed on the bed to lie next to her.

Sol wasted no time to pull him as best as she could towards him, cradling his head against her chest, as best as she could considering the position she lay in, much like a mother would to her child. Remus continued to sob, but this time in relief as the gesture was enough to reassure him that there was still hope for them.

Sol just whispered words of endearment into his ear and waited for him to calm down. When he did finally stop sobbing, she gently tilted his head up until his eyes met hers.

"Remus," she began, and once she was certain that she had his complete attention she continued, "I don't care that you are a wolf," A mischievous smile lit up her eyes as she added, "I happen to like wolves." Unable to speak, Remus took hold of her in an embrace; they remained that way for the rest of the night.

It had been a few days since the incident in the hospital wing, and things had gone back to normal, with the exception of Lily, Sol and Hermione knowing of Remus' curse, and accepting it. It was a turn of events that Remus still had trouble believing. It was not that he feared that Sol or Lily would betray him but rather, that he could not comprehend how Merlin could have blessed him with such friends and such a powerful love.

Another change that had taken place was the transformation of the relationship between Hermione and Sirius. One would think that, after the incident in the forest, Sirius would have opened up to her – and one would be right, although, not in the way that she would have liked.

The group were currently sitting in Transfiguration class together, where Sirius never missed an opportunity to break to tease Hermione mercilessly.

"Can anyone tell me how to transfigure ourselves into household items?" Professor McGonagall asked.

Sirius and Hermione were the two that immediately raised their hands, but it was clear that by the restless way in which Sirius was moving around in his seat that he wanted to be picked urgently.

"Yes, Mr. Black?"

Sirius, however, merely looked smug, saying: "I don't know, but I am sure that Know-It- All Granger does." His voice sounded particularly gloating, There were oohhs and aahhs around the class room with a few gasps, but from his friends he got nothing but disapproving glares.

"Mr. Black!" It was McGonagall who spoke up. "If you have nothing useful to say in my classes you will please refrain for saying anything at all." She picked Lucius to answer the question instead.

Sirius took a quick glance over at Hermione and could see that the girl looked flustered, and if he dared think it, she even looked like she would break into tears, but none came. Lily, who was sitting beside her, whispered something to her, which seemed to calm her down and even make her giggle slightly. McGonagall (merely) shot them a disapproving glance, but did not say anything.

The following day matters did not improve. At the end of the day the Marauders, along with Lily and Sol, sat in the Great Hall doing their homework. Sol sat across from Lily and next to Remus, who in turn sat across from James. Sirius had sat himself next to James. This was at least how Hermione found them all as she returned from the library with her usual mountain of books, and sat next to Remus and across from Sirius. However, before she was even able to sit, the unthinkable happened.

"Good evening, Hermione."

At hearing this she froze. Looking around, she spotted the source. There Sirius, across from her, had actually said something to her. The shock was that his tone was not unkind, rather it was polite.

"Good evening, Sirius," she replied, but it soon became clear that as soon as the kindness had come it was gone again.

"Obviously you do not have a bad hair day today."

Yet even as she felt slightly hurt by the comment, she could not help but realize that there was something hidden in his gaze – something that she could not place. However, being Hermione, she was not about to let that comment go without some kind of rebuttal.

"And you clearly are!" she shot back, but she was not quite convinced that she had managed to sound convincing, or that she had been able to keep the hurt out of her voice.

Not getting another comment from Sirius, she merely set to work on her own homework.

In true Marauder fashion, Sirius waited until she was completely relaxed before he threw his next attack. Leaning over to James, he began helping him with his homework. It was a piece that Professor McGonagall had asked them to write, on how to make a house disappear.

Hermione really did not want, nor did she intend, to eavesdrop, but when thinking how loudly Sirius was speaking, it seemed almost impossible not to. The thing that shocked her, and put her immediately on her guard, was what Sirius was saying. Everything that Sirius was telling James was wrong, but the most infuriating part was that James was listening to what Sirius was saying. It was the breaking point for Hermione: she was unable to merely sit here and listen to all of this rubbish that was coming from Sirius. The man was an intellectual for Christ's sake.

"Honestly, Sirius! How can you help James with his homework if you yourself do not understand it?" she burst out.

Sirius merely looked up at her. "Well, you are not too dim." The voice he said it in was kind, but all that she could think about was the fact that he was mocking her. The whole attack seemed almost to have been orchestrated by both Sirius and James, and it was more than Hermione was able to handle.

Without even so much as a glare towards Sirius, Hermione got up, grabbed her books and left seeking the refuge of the library.

Little did she know that it would not take long for James to understand what Sirius was doing, and when he did realize he wasted no time with thumping his friend over the head with a glare.

"What?" Sirius cried, looking at James in shock. James merely looked at where Hermione had left and back to Sirius. Sirius just shook his head and returned to his work.

In the library, Hermione was unable to tear her thoughts away from the two compliments that Sirius had given her. She could not figure the bloke out and it left her thoroughly confused. Did these sly compliments mean something? Was there something there that she could not see? These were all issues that would continue to trouble her for the times to come.


End file.
